A Michigan woman faces charges of child abuse after authorities discovered that her three children had been living alone in unspeakable conditions for several years. This shocking revelation came to light on Wednesday, just days after police responded to a call from the children’s landlord, who had not received rent since October.

“Those three kids were placed under their mother’s care, yet it appears she abandoned them in a horrifying environment filled with refuse and filth,” stated Karen McDonald, the Oakland County prosecutor based in the suburbs of Detroit. During a news conference, she expressed her concern, noting, “What strikes me the most is the absence of love. There was no one there to provide care for them.”

The mother, aged 34, is currently in custody and is set to appear in court for a hearing on Thursday. The siblings—comprising a 15-year-old boy and two girls, aged 12 and 13—were reportedly hiding in their Pontiac residence when police entered the premises. Authorities described the living situation as almost unlivable due to towering piles of garbage and waste, and they were shocked that anyone could survive in such an environment, particularly since the toilet was not operational.

Upon their discovery, the children were found in severely unsanitary conditions, with feces on their bodies. The girls had difficulty walking when they left the house, and it was revealed that they struggled to perform basic hygiene tasks at the hospital, having not used a toilet or brushed their teeth in years, according to the prosecutor.

It is believed that the children had been largely on their own since either 2020 or 2021, with communication to their mother limited to text messages when they required food. Meanwhile, she had been residing about 20 miles away in Pontiac, north of Detroit.